The Pheonix
by MilitaryBarbie
Summary: Told from the eyes of the newest member of Batman's crew, their story quickly takes a turn for the worst. Just from the general Batman universe, not set in/after/before any specific Batman comic, movie, television show, or game. Won't really follow the cannon timeline so if you're really adamant about that this probably isn't for you.
1. The Finch

**The Finch**

We met in the alley, the streetlamps on both ends had been knocked out to hide the immense amount of power conspiring in its depths. Green Arrow stood in the center with Speedy on his left and Black Canary on his right. Batman stood I front of me and I on his left.

"You called for our assistance." Batman's voice scrambler made his tone even more gravely

"Yes, if you will follow us, we can show you."

Speedy looked at me and smiled. I ran my eyes over him before smiling back and winking as we all jumped up to the roof. We followed them for a few blocks before we arrived at an old steel factory.

"In here." The Arrow opened a door and gestured us inside. We walked down some stairs and entered a large room with shining computers and lots of arrows everywhere. The Arrow introduced his two companions, a blond named Felicity Smoke and a man named Mr. Diggle.

"We have a small situation on our hands. A man named Slade Wilson, codename Deathstroke, has been infecting people with something called _mirakuru. _It heightens strength, the senses, and allows for rapid healing. These guys are not easy to handle. At midnightDeathstroke intends to unleash his army on the city. We need your help to contain them."

"What can we do?" Nightwing asked

"You guys can stay stationed in the city. If we can discover where they are operating; we might be able to shut it down."

"So we patrol around until we find the bad guy hideout?" my tone scrambler made me sound mysterious, and I didn't mind that at all.

"Basically. We just need more man power. And Batman, I need to discuss something else with you in private." Green Arrow motioned the rests of us out and we left.

"So where are we starting?" Nightwing asked

"Well, I was going to cover downtown and I will need a partner. Black Canary can take the slums on her own, and someone needs to cover the docks. The Arrow and Batman will take the political and residential districts."

"I'll cover the docks." Nightwing offered and ran into the night. Canary nodded at us and went off on her own.

"So hot stuff, looks like it's just us." He winked at me and smiled

"Looks like it. Hope you can keep up." I ran and jumped onto the building across the street, parkouring across the rooftops. He zip-lined next to me and jumped slightly ahead of me.

"Hope you don't think this is a challenge."

"This is child's play." I laughed and ran faster, taking jumps and flips at break-neck speed. He fell behind me and only caught up when I stopped near the large skyscrapers signifying the heart of Sterling City. "Where should I start?"

"You can take the north end and move clockwise. I'll start here and move the other way." He was panting slightly to my satisfaction. I winked at him before swan-diving off the courthouse, pulling out my grappling hook and swinging over to the roof of Queen Consolidated. I monitored diligently, checking in with Batman and the Arrow every 15 minutes. At 10:15 pm Nightwing reported a disturbance in at the docks at pier 27. The next check-in his mic remained silent. Without thinking, I moved across town and located the place. Batman was already there with Canary and they were assessing the situation.

"We can't get in. There are guards, motion sensors, cameras, heat detectors, and everything but the kitchen sink protecting this thing." Canary argued.

"Nightwing did it." I said calmly and thought like he would. He was very flexible and loved swinging around on things. I looked up and saw a crane on the pier. I would be a big glide but it would be possible. I looked at Batman and he nodded, knowing my thoughts. He would be too heavy to get a long-distance glide. The moment Speedy arrived I took his arm and hauled him to the top of the crane with me.

"Finch, what are we doing up here?"

"We need to get onto that boat."

"Are you kidding, that thing is locked up tighter than a nun's legs."

I cocked my eyebrow at him. "Not everything is as impenetrable as it seems. I need you to do exactly as I say."

We landed lightly on the top of the deck and quickly rolled into the main cabin, taking refuge under the bar. I quickly located a maintenance room with a door to the control room. We dashed through the darkness and entered the room so quietly the deckhand didn't hear anything until my foot connected with his head. Speedy caught his unconscious body and slowly lowered it to the floor. I entered the ship's computer and disabled the security features as well as the lights. I knew the Batman and the others would be entering the ship now, and wherever Nightwing was, he would be making his move.

"Shouldn't we go help?" Speedy barely made any noise as he whispered so close to my ear I could smell his cologne.

I shook my head but didn't respond. We both started when three men entered the control room but by the time their flashlights had swept the room we were hidden and poised to strike. I threw down a smoke capsule and quickly took out the first two men while Speedy dealt with the other and checked the walkway.

"No one else." He whispered and waved his hand in front of his face to dismiss the last of the smoke.

I nodded and crouched in the corner once more. Two more men tried to enter the room but one of Speedy's shocker arrows quickly dealt with them, although making more noise than I would have preferred. At 11 exactly Batman voice scratched over the mic calling both of us the port side deck.

"They weren't here, it was a decoy." Nightwing growled when we arrived. His hair was spiked and I knew he'd been running his hands through it in frustration.

"We need to split up again. We can assume this means they aren't at the docks." Arrow began, turning to leave.

"We can assume nothing. We should keep someone posted on the docks regardless."

The Arrow narrowed his eyes slightly. "Fine, Speedy can cover the docks. Finch and Nightwing can take downtown."

I shrugged and Nightwing and I headed off, winding around each other as we leapt over rooftops and glided across parks. This was our version of play and I giggled as Nightwing nearly knocked me off a house. I flipped directly in his way over a dumpster, forcing him to grapple. "Stop fooling around you two." Batman scolded.

We smiled guiltily at each other and move on, reaching the tall building in no time. I hung around the clubs and shadier part of town while Nightwing swept the courthouse and police station areas. I caught a whiff of a secret meeting underneath a club but it turned out to be just a drug-circle. A quick scan of their drug proved it to be a modified version of acid. I catalogued it and moved on, circling to the business district. One squat building settled on the south side of downtown held a suspicious number of heat signatures for this time of night. I conveyed the information and moved in, slipping in through an unlocked window in the third floor. I quickly climbed down the stairs to the first floor and moved to the back room. A man was to be addressing a group of about 35 people.

"We must take back this city from the over-righteous heroes who think they can control us!"

I peeked around the corner and saw a man in a mask standing at a sort of pulpit at the front of the room. I pushed my beacon on and began counting down from 60, the amount of time it would take Batman and Nightwing to get here. I continued listening, turning on my recording device. At 20 the man stopped his speech and pulled out a row of syringes, motioning up the first man. I acted quickly and shot a Batarang from my wrist, breaking the syringe.

"They are here!" the man shouted and looked around, squinting through the holes in his mask.

The other men all got up and began moving around but I stayed where I was. One of them passed within two inches of me but I remained still.

"Quickly!" the man motioned another up and I broke that vial as well. I knew Batman at least would be here now so I shot out a couple of electricity capsules and stunned a good half-dozen of them. They dropped only to be replaced with their friends who were beginning to close in on me. I shot out like lightning and fought like a demon. A few Batarangs whirled around me and after a few seconds some arrows joined them. Nightwing rushed next to me and fought fiercely. We both charged on the leader but he grabbed my leg and snapped it with one hand. I fell to the ground and Nightwing landed a few hits on his torso but the man lifted him and threw him against the wall. The man turned his ugly mask on me and moved to grab me again but an arrow hit him on the shoulder and sent him into spasms that forced him to the ground. I flipped away, landing on my good foot a few feet from the suffering man. The last man in the room besides the leader charged me but I launched towards him and kicked him in the face, swinging around his body to control my landing. Batman and Canary were putting the man in handcuffs and the Arrow was examining the syringes that were on the pulpit.

"It's _mirakuru_ alright." He shook his head and stuffed the vials in his vest. "Thank you for helping me."

Batman responded with only silence and moved over to me where Nightwing was already kneeling. His quick fingers examined, wrapped, and splinted my leg in under a minute. Nightwing took me in his arms and then we were gone.

**This was just a short introduction to the series. Let me know if you love it, hate it, or whatever. Thanks!**


	2. Nightwing

"What were you thinking?" Dick shook his head as Pennyworth injected my leg with another painkiller so he could finish stitching me up.

"You know what I was thinking." I rolled my eyes and re-watched the video from my mask. "Man, that stuff really amps them up.; quadruples their strength at least, maybe more."

"Probably more, but I won't know until I run some more tests." Bruce sat at the computer in the Batcave with steepled fingers. "I shudder to think what this would have been like if an entire city would have been infected with this."

"I can see how visibly disturbed you are." Pennyworth said in his flat tone but causing me to giggle.

"Was that a joke Pennyworth? That was actually quite good."

"You just broke your leg Lissa, please handle this situation seriously." Dick slammed his fist onto my cot

"Dick, calm down. She will be fine in a few days; the healing serum with increase the healing in her leg. Her break should be fixed by Wednesday. I'm more worried of how they manufactured this stuff and where it is coming from."

"I could swing a late-night mission in Sterling city." I said as I strapped a temporary cutting-edge technology brace over my left calf.

"Absolutely not" Dick stood up

"Dick is right, you don't need to be fighting if you can help it until you're healed. Too much pressure could damage you further. Besides, the muscle damage won't put you at one hundred percent. No, Dick and I will go out tomorrow night after the board meeting."

Dick groaned and sat heavily in his chair. "I forgot about that. Why do I have to go?"

"Because you are the first in line to inherent this company. When I die I want to make sure you will be able to handle Wayne Enterprises without having to rely on the board."

"Why not just sign over your share to Mr. Fox?" I asked

"Because, while I trust Lucius, I would very much like to keep my share in my parent's company. You two should get to bed, you have school tomorrow."

"Alright _Dad_." I laughed and slid from my cot. A small amount of pain twinged through my leg when I put weight on it but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Bruce kissed my cheek and Pennyworth gave a smile as Dick and I went upstairs.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

"You know I'll be fine. It's just a little break. I've had worse."

"Still, I don't want you going to gymnastics for the next few days. I'll tell them you pulled a muscle or something."

"Oh come on Dick." I stopped in front of my door. "I'll be fine, and I'll need to stay limber if I won't be fighting for a week."

"No, Bruce may think this is nothing but I don't want you hurting yourself more than necessary. You are staying home. Work more on your aim and tech skills this week."

"Fine, but next week I get to take that advanced workshop."

"Deal." He kissed the top of my head and moved down the hallway to his room.

I slipped into my pajamas and lay across my bed, pulling out my phone and checking my messages. I had a few from my friends and one from an automated messaging company reminding me off my test tomorrow in Trig. One message stood out from an unknown number. A quick trace told it belong to a certain Roy Harper in Sterling City.

_Are you alright?_

I smiled, knowing I had just met the real Speedy. _I'll be fine. May I ask how you got this number?_

_Felicity owed me a favor. Curiously, she said it isn't linked to any name besides Finch. How is that?_

_She isn't the only one who knows her way around a keyboard. So Roy Harper, how was your evening?_

_Alright. Met this girl I thought was kinda cute but I don't know; seems like she has a bit of an attitude though._

_Well, would you rather a soft, submissive girl or a fun, fiery girl?_

_Soft girl aren't so bad. They don't cause any trouble._

_But their so boring._

_Well then why don't you show me how an exciting girl lives once that leg is healed. _

_Aright. How does next weekend sound?_

_How can you be exciting in crutches?_

_I won't be in crutches._

_What?_

_Next Saturday; meet me at the Gotham City amusement park. Wear comfortable shoes._

I smiled and turned off my phone, shutting my eyes and quickly falling asleep.

My alarm woke me up at 6 am. I showered and dressed, doing my make-up as I inhaled a muffin and some eggs Benedict. Dick sat next to me buried in his psychology book for his master's course exam today. Pennyworth called for us when the driver arrived, who promptly took us the Wayne Academy for Academic Excellence. I walked in and was quickly surrounded by my friends who dragged me away from Dick and towards the library; refusing to let me leave until we had gone over the study material twice. The bell rang the moment we passed number 25 again and I was then pulled to our class on the fourth floor. I did moderately well on the test and I knew Bruce would be pleased with my performance. I completed the technology homework in 5 minutes and spent the rest of the class researching Roy Harper.

I liked what I saw. He had started out on the wrong side of the law and had been arrested many times far'unprovoked assault'. But three years ago Roy Harper cleaned up his act. He got a job at Queen Consolidated as a branch manager, unusual for a person with no previous business experience, and he got accepted in the Twin Oak Private Academic Facility in Sterling City. He was in his last year of studies and was placed adequately in his class at a modest 15 out of 100. He had received star reviews from his instructors at the semester evaluation and was now off of parole. He still seemed to have a bit of a temper, he had a minor assault charge in his second year but the issue was settled and no charges had been pressed. His school picture was incredibly attractive, and my friend Stacy Wracky who sat next to me caught a glimpse.

"Is that Roy Harper?"

"No, finish your work." I closed out the picture and made a face at her. She shrugged and turned back to her monitor. I shut out all my pages and played solitaire for the rest of the class. But she didn't let the issues drop and quickly told the other girls as soon as we were in the hallway.

"How do you know Roy Harper?" I asked her

"He's only the best wrestler from Twin Oaks, he creamed our guys last week at the meet. Plus he is the youngest businessman in Sterling City history. How do you not know about him? Oh wait, you never know about anything."

"Hey, so I'm not as up-to-date with some irrelevant current events."

"You never answered the question, why were you looking at his picture?"

"He texted me last night."

She nearly fell off the stairs along with Courtney Cox and Alec Hurera, my other friends. "He _texted_ you?!"

"Yeah." I shrugged, smiling at her expression.

"How do you know him?"

"There was a huge party a week ago for Queen Consolidated and Dad was invited. I got to come along and we spoke for a bit. I guess he just got around to texting me."

"You are so lucky. My Dad never lets me meet anyone that cute. All of his oil partners are from Texas or some Middle Eastern country and don't speak English."

"Southern boys are cute." I argue as we entered our AP Biology class and settled in the front seats. I listened to them give me every detail of Roy's personal life they knew. He had dated Thea Queen, the youngest of the Queen children. Her brother Oliver ran the company at the moment but Roy and she had split about 6 months ago. He had been a part of the bar scene for a while but then had dropped off the map for 2 months as far as dating was concerned. His branch continued to thrive and the Twin Oak's wrestling squad was now number one in the region.

He had been named the sexiest business man for 5 consecutive months in 12 different magazines as well as received multiple business awards for the work his branch was doing in chemical research. He looked best in a black suit and that is what he usually wore around the office and to parties. Every business heiress had their eye on him and they assured me any interest between the two of us would come at a heavy price of my social life with them (like I cared). By the time I had learned everything from his birthday to his favorite color school had dismissed and our driver, Bartholomeu, had come to pick us up. Dick was already in the car, scrolling on his phone.

"How did you do on your master's test?"

"Well, although I am pretty sure my professor will disagree on my stance of Freud's theories. "

"I'm sure he will give you full marks, as usual." I punched his shoulder and propped my leg on the seat across from me

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine, just a little swollen. I'll do some stretches tonight to keep the muscles loose and then I plan on finishing that Trojan horse I've been working on."

"News around the school is you and Roy Harper, the young bussinessman at Queen Consolidated, are an item."

" No, he texted me last night a bit but that was it. My friend caught me doing a background check."

"You realize I'm going to have to check him out now, right?"

"Always the overprotective one." I pulled a granola out of our stash in the backseat. "I came up with nothing besides he has a bit of a temper and a bad habit of putting our wrestling team to shame."

"Regardless, I'm going to do a more thorough search."

"You aren't going to like what you see."

"Why not?"

"You never do." I sighed and closed my eyes, running attack combinations in my head for the rest of the drive. Pulling up to Wayne Manor I notice Mr. Fox's car parked in the driveway. Entering, he and Bruce were seated in the office and talking over a large building plan. I rushed in and hugged Mr. Fox who gladly returned it.

"Hello sweetie." his deep, slow voice washed over me

"Hello Mr. Fox." I smiled. "It's good to see you again."

"But not as good as it is to see you. What did you do to your leg? I'd notice one of titanium leg supports any day."

"Some druggie up in Sterling City snapped it. I'll be fine in a week or so."

"Healing serum too? Bruce spoils you." He laughed and hugged me again. "Well your father and I have some important business to handle but I shall see you at dinner."

"Yes sir." I nodded to Bruce and exited, closing the door behind me.

I stretched and worked at the computer in my room until Pennyworth called everyone to dinner. We ate a lovely meal of Mr. Fox's favorites: chicken pot pie with assorted vegetables, cinnamon apples, carrot soup, buttermilk biscuits, and baked Alaska for dessert. He left right after that and Bruce ordered me to bed to rest my leg. At around 3 am Dick slipped in my room and sat on my bed.

"Lissa, are you awake?" he whispered

"Yeah, what's up?" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and focused on his darkened face

"I had a nightmare. Do you think…..do you think I could sleep in here tonight?" his voice sounded uncharacteristically brittle and soft. I nodded and scooted over to allow him to slip under the covers next to me. He draped his arm over my waist and buried his head in my hair, taking a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" I asked

He took so long to respond I thought he wasn't going to. When he did speak, he was so quiet I almost missed it. "I couldn't protect you yesterday."

"Oh Dick, it wasn't that big a deal. It's just a broken leg."

"No not that, well yes but, when he threw me he turned to you. He was going to hurt you and probably kill you and I wouldn't have been able to get to him in time to stop him."

"Dick, listen to me. You're fine. You fought exceptionally last night, as you always do, and I would rather have you fighting by my side than Bruce."

"You can be nice but don't lie to me." He chuckled.

"It's not a lie." I turned over to where we were facing each other. He pulled me into a hug before letting me continue. "You and I fight so well together."

"I feel so overprotective of you, especially with this Harper kid sniffing around."

"Don't be, he's a good kid."

"Lissa, I don't think you understand. I don't want you dating. I don't want anyone to."

"Dick, you can't bar me from dating everyone."

"Watch me." He laughed. "Get some sleep."

"If you need to talk, wake me up okay?"

"I won't." he kissed my forehead and stroked my hair until I fell asleep.

I was vaguely aware of a slight sobbing sound. It was very quiet and very easy to miss. Harder to miss was the press of tears on my shoulder. I turned over and found Dick silently crying his eyes out. "Dick, are you okay?"

"I can't lose you, Lissa. I can't."

"Hun, I ain't goin' nowhere. You should get some sleep."

"I can't, the nightmares just keep coming back."

"Come here." I hugged him closely "Everything is fine."

"No it isn't. I'm losing you. I nearly lost you last night, and I am loosing you to Harper."

"No you aren't." sleep was slowly rising to claim me again and I felt myself sag against Dick's chest.

"I love you Lissa." He whispered

"I love you too." I mumbled. I was vaguely aware of him moving me off of his chest and then sleep took me.


	3. The Prince

**I know it has been figuratively eons since I updated and sorry for that, but I've been working on my other fanfic a lot and I just got side tracked. Hope you like it though!**

**Chapter 4-**

I woke up and Dick was gone so I took my shower quickly and went down for breakfast. Bruce was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"We have a situation. You won't be attending school today. Come with me." He led the way down the hall and to the library, where we entered the Batcave. Dick sat in jeans and a t-shirt at the computer, slowly flipping through what looked to be case files.

"Last night, there was a slaughter in Sterling City. A new guy, Kanus, took three politicians. At around 1 in the morning, he killed all of them on live television."

"Why didn't we go down there?" I demanded.

"We didn't know it was happening." Bruce could barely conceal the note of disapproval in his voice.

"Your little boyfriend turns out to be quite handy with a computer. He blocked the transmissions from reaching us. We didn't know about it until the news hit this morning." Dick threw a newspaper on the table next to me. Three fat politicians stared up at me from under the headline GOVERNMENT ATTACKED.

"Were any civilians targeted?" I asked

"Quite the opposite. Watch this." Bruce flipped a video onto the computer display.

A young man in a wolf mask filled the screen. "Citizens of Sterling City, it is time we hold our so called 'electives', who are supposed to be guarding against us being taken advantage of, to their promise. I have been evaluating these particular politicians for the past few months and what I have seen is far from their campaign promises. Justice Dominguez has taken multiple bribes and is the sole reason many thugs, murderers, and rapists have continued to walk among you. I am here to correct that."

The man turned to the justice. "What do you have to say? Guilty or not guilty?"

"I didn't mean anything I just-"

"Guilty!" The man in the wolf mask pulled out a gun and blew the judge's brains out.

Bruce paused the tape on the masked man's face. "The people of Sterling City are supporting him actually, saying it was about time they got someone who worked for the people. I haven't been able to locate the source of the broadcast. We meet with Green Arrow, Speedy, and Black Canary in 30 minutes at a diner in Sterling City."

"I'll get dressed for the occasion." I dashed back into my room and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, slipping my utility belt and mask in my pocket. The car was waiting at the entrance when I walked down and I took a seat next to Dick in the back. Bruce got a call and sat engaged in a conversation with some board member or another.

"Are you okay?" I leaned over and whispered to Dick

"Fine." His voice was kinda short but he sighed "I'm just worried. If the people of Sterling City start thinking this guy is a good idea, maybe the people of Gotham will too. I can't pretend like I don't support this guy, he made those judges answer for their crimes, but he is going about it the wrong way."

"Hey, we're the good guys. They'll see there is a reason we don't kill."

He nodded and then gazed out the car window, lost in thought. My phone buzzed and I checked my texts. A few were from my friends at school asking where I was, and another from Roy telling me to be prepared for an awkward conversation. Apparently Green Arrow and Bruce had already exchanged words and it hadn't gone well. I thanked him and passed on the information to Dick. We already somewhat knew, the tensing of Bruce's jaw was never a good thing, but now we were expecting real fireworks. As we pulled up to the diner we all put on dark sunglasses and Bruce put on a wide-brimmed fedora. We walked in and took the booth that had Roy Harper, Oliver Queen, and Sarah Lance. They all chatted somewhat tensely as they ate stacks of waffles and eggs. We slid in the circular booth and I ended up next to Roy, who discreetly took my hand and squeezed it.

Bruce started. "Let's get down to business. Why was I not notified of this the moment it happened?"

"As I said this morning, it is _my_ city. You have Gotham. I don't stick my nose in your business."

"Maybe if we had known we could have helped and those judges wouldn't have been killed. The entire area is up in arms now, on his side. This affects more than just Sterling.

"If I had wanted your help then I would have asked for it. We had it under control."

"Obviously not, seeing as three men are now dead at the hands of some criminal."

"Well, we're here now, so let's just focus on the present. We couldn't track the signal-"

"Because you were too busy keeping us from finding out." Dick spat

Green Arrow glared at him "-because they kept it bouncing around multiple servers. We know it was coming from inside the city but that is still too much ground to cover. No one saw the judges kidnapped, and their cell phones were destroyed and are completely untraceable."

"We need to study criminal patterns over the past few months. If he is a new guy and has a following, there will be an area of town where the old gangs don't go anymore. A little farther back and we should see some turf wars that might be able to give us some borders." I added

Bruce nodded, pleased. "If he doesn't have a following he might be a little harder to find. We need to see who would have access to the judges and look into their disappearances, maybe which will give us a clue as to who took them. It would be difficult for one man to control three others so he had someone else with him. We should also ask around and see if anyone knows anything."

Sarah shook her head "No good, the people are on his side. Whether their criminals or straight, they won't give anything. They think he is some kind of hero. As do others." She shot Oliver a pointed look

"Anyone who kills like that doesn't need to be running around on the streets. Yeah maybe these judges were crooked, but who is to say he won't turn on the people at any time? And regardless of that, he shouldn't be killing anyone."

She huffed and looked out the window at the street. Bruce sided with Oliver. "If we don't act, it will look like we condone his actions. Murder, for whatever reason, is wrong. This needs to be handles quickly and efficiently."

Oliver nodded. "We will look into it, Roy you are going to go back to school for the day."

"Aw, come on. Don't I just get one day off?"

"No."

"He can ride with us, we'll make sure he gets there. We pass Gotham Academy anyways." Bruce stood up and tossed a few bills on the table. "Breakfast is on me."

Roy followed to the car and climbed in next to Dick. Bruce spoke quickly and effectively. "I won't make you go to school but you'll have to work. I'll forge documents that say you attended for the rest of the day. You three are going undercover here in Sterling. Make it seem like you want to join Kanus' following."

We nodded, somewhat excited. Bruce handed us ear comm units which immediately camouflaged to our skin tones, becoming practically invisible unless you stuck your finger down our ears. He dropped us off at the docks and headed for the Batcave.

"Roy, you go with Lissa. Try to find out where his cronies hang out, I'll do some more stealth-based operations and try to find out about the kidnappings."

I shook my head "I want to go alone, I'll find more out that way. Roy should be the only one asking around. Too many people will raise some red flags. I'll see if I can find any areas of town the gangs are avoiding."

Dick pursed his lips but agreed. We split up and focused on our own tasks. Bruce checked in every 10 minutes to make sure we were okay and to get any information we had. Apparently Dick was hanging around the courthouse and Roy was rubbing elbows with the druggies by the docks. I headed to the slums and sat on top of a building, watching the different colors walk below me. The Bloods walked their normal territory, and the Jackals stayed in their turf on the South side. West Sterling City had been in turf wars for a few weeks but it looked like it had died down. A new color, green, walked the streets now and hit up the local kids for drugs. They avoided the glue factory and the area around the high school, and I conveyed that to Bruce.

"Sterling City Police have stationed a lot of officers at the high school due to increased drug use there." A woman's voice spoke in my ear. "The new local gang, the Vipers, usually stay away from the area during the day. The glue factory doesn't pull anything up. Normal functions, purchases, and outputs for the past two months. No new employees, no new cleaning companies, nothing."

"Felicity, keep digging on the glue factory. Finch, see if you can get in and learn anything. I'll check in soon." Bruce ordered.

An open window stood on the third floor and I slipped in. Guards circled below me on the lower levels. I snuck out on a ceiling beam and looked down at what was on the ground floor. The huge glue vats were spinning, churning some mysterious amber liquid, and a few more were mixing a green one. Men walked around stirring, taking samples, or tapping on computers. Three men walked in and everyone else stood at attention. I flipped on my com unit and enabled my long-distance speaker so Batman and Felicity could pick up the conversation.

"And here is our secondary operation. We're mixing the miracle serum of yours and we should have a few hundred vials by the end of the week. This mixture here is my own little invention. Truth serum in a sense, takes out any blocks your mind might put on information, comes quite in handy when you need to find a particularly secret bit of information." Kanus was leading no one other than the Joker and another younger man that had a similar suit. His wolf mask was on but his voice carried well around the cement walls. "Combined, we should be able to make quite the impression in both Sterling City and Gotham, and then onward!"

"The sky is the limit, my friend." The Joker smiled his devilish grin.

The beam I was kneeling on squeaked slightly, too quiet for the men to hear, but it was giving out from underneath me. I quickly shimmied toward the catwalk, trying not to jolt, but it was bowing more and more at the far end.

"I was thinking maybe we do a little experiment. I have a…friend in the Central City police that has been particularly tricky to get to cooperate."

Ten feet from the end and it was giving out faster. I hurried my pace but couldn't risk much more for fear of knocking it loose.

"After I was done getting my information, you would be more than welcome to have him and-"

The beam gave out, sending me plummeting to the ground. I reached for my grappling hook but being only three stories up, I didn't have enough time. I hit the ground and rolled, slamming into one of the huge vats.

"It's one of the Bats!" the Joker shouted, looking in the rafters. "Take her!"

Four men and the Joker's young apprentice charged me, and I fought back despite being dazed from my fall and almost sure I had a few broken ribs. My leg felt like it was on fire as I kicked a man in the head and sent him flying into his colleagues. I threw another into a steel beam and knocked him out before the young Joker charged me. He was very, very good.

"You like him Batty? I had him made especially for you. The Prince, I call him. A fitting name for the successor of the King of Crime, don't you think? I know you're here somewhere. Step out and she won't be hurt."

The Prince threw a complicated combination, one he knew would put strain on my injured leg, and knocked me to the ground. I tried to sweep his legs out from under him but he jumped, landing on my chest with his knees. I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me and he gripped my throat with his hands

"Come on Bats, you're hanging around somewhere. Come out!" the Joker leered

I threw a smoke bomb and tried to kick the Price in the face, but instead of his grip loosening it grew stronger. He held on with hands like steel and I felt the world slip into blackness.


	4. The Rescue

I woke up in a smallish cell with no window. It took me a few second to remember why I was there, and another few to take quick bodily inventory. My body felt fine but I wasn't in my costume or had any of my weapons. My hands were chained to the wall but in chains so measly I knew they were meant to be broken. I did just that and slipped over to the door, looking out the food slot. I reached out and turned my handle from the outside, slipping into the empty hallway. It was eerily vacant until I hit a major crossway where I took out a guard. I checked for a comms unit or a walkie talkie but he had no communications equipment what so ever. Creeping into the main room I could tell I was no longer in the glue factory but somewhere very similar. Every single thing was made of cement or metal, not a splinter of wood was in the place. The doors, the steps, the railings were all metal or some kind of stone. Three huge columns stood in the main room, and the middle one had a huge burn mark around it, like some kind of explosion had taken place. I knelt on the cat walk and watched patiently. It took nearly 30 minutes for them to notice I was gone. I younger guard rushed in and started yelling I was gone. Out of a dark corner a voice hushed him.

"Don't worry she's right there. So nice of you to join us my dear. Prince, if you would." The Joker laughed as his apprentice hit a button and the catwalk vanished from underneath me. His men quickly took a hold of me and chained me around the large pillar.

"You know, this was actually meant for our dear Batty, but you'll have to do. Boys, if you will."

His men started piling firewood around me and suddenly I knew what the burn marks on the pillar were from. I fought my bonds but they only tightened. The Prince was holding out his fist and the harder he squeezed, the more the chains tightened.

"Noticed finally? Yes, I am quite proud of him. A marvel of the same thing you are about to endure, although quite different I must say."

His men finished piling the wood and the Joker himself struck a match and dropped it on the wood. I watched as the flames snuck toward me. They licked at my feet and the pain started. I refused to scream, even as the flames grew higher and hotter. The grey jumpsuit they had put me in wasn't lighting and neither was my hair, which some minute part of my brain registered as odd, but it felt as if the flames were my skin. The Joker watched me passively, as if I was a mildly interesting show on TV. I bored my eyes into the Joker's refusing to let him see me cry in pain. The flames grew higher and his apprentice cast a nervous glance between the Joker and I. But the man himself still watched me as the pain mounted. I felt a pressure in my head and I was pretty sure it was my brain boiling. The pain lasted eons. Every second dragged out in an endless feeling of agony.

"Gentlemen, move her to the crematorium." He grinned maniacally.

I would not. I refused to be turned into a pile of ash for his enjoyment. I felt the pressure mounting, and then everything switched. The flames purred around my feet and swirled around me like a tornado. I flung them outward, engulfing all of my attackers. The chains melted off of me and I jumped in front of the Joker. For some reason, neither he nor his protégée seemed to be effected by the flames at all. Their goons were screaming in pain but the fire didn't do more than lick the cuffs of their pants. I went to attack the Joker but the Prince stepped in and defended him. But my rage fueled me, and this time I led the assault. I kicked him back to hit a pillar and his head cracked against the cement. For the first time, the Joker looked agitated.

"What are you waiting for, you idiot?"

The Prince struggled to his feet and hit a button on his belt. Fire extinguishing foam filled the room quickly. I felt my eyes drooping, and all of the energy leaving my body. I continued to charge at the Prince but my strength was gone. After a few sloppy punches, and almost out of sympathy, he kicked me in the head to knock me out.

I woke up in the cell again, and my internal clock told me it was night time. I groaned, every bone in my body aching. I tested my bonds but found they were much stronger now. They were coated in some form of waxy rubber which I assumed was fireproof. At this thought I shuddered.

What had they done to me?

I slumped on my chains and sighed. I had no idea what to do. I had never been so weak in my life, I knew I didn't have the strength to escape. Just as the hopelessness was setting in I heard a grunt in the hallway. Batman! The electricity had been cut, and it was pitch black even after he crept in. He was too short to be Batman, so I amended my assessment to Nightwing. He came in and cut through my bonds, and I tackled him in a hug.

"I knew you'd come. I couldn't quite hide how scared I'd been."

"Of course." Came his gruff reply. He returned the embrace quickly before pulled me out into the corridor. He maneuvered the hallways like a pro, which didn't surprise me. Nightwing always memorized the maps Batman gave us; I was always the one who operated on the fly. We came to a dead end and he popped open an air shaft vent.

"Follow this outside, hold your breath when crossing the yard." He turned to leave.

"No, you have to come with me. You don't know what they….what they've done. Please, come with me."

"I can't, I still have something to do for Bats. I'll see you outside."

I sighed but let him go, summoning all my energy to jump up and enter the shaft. It was a straight shot to the outside, and I crossed the yard with inhaling or exhaling at all. I ran to the wall, 20 feet of solid stone, and stopped. I didn't have my belt or anything else to climb with. I scouted for a tree but there wasn't any withing jumping range. A grappling hook shot over the wall 5 feet to my right and I quickly climbed it, reveling in the sight of the almost-invisible Batmobile. I jumped in to Batman sitting in the driver's seat.

"I am glad I saw you when I did. I was just debating coming in after him."

"He said he had to do something else for you."

"The priority was to get you out, but I asked him if he saw anything valuable to pick it up. I guess he wanted to get some intel."

"He always was an overachiever."

It wasn't ten minutes later a form fell from the top of the wall and landed in a heap on the ground. I bounded out, grabbed Nightwing, and hauled him back to the car. Batman drove home while I did a diagnostic scan on Dick.

"His vitals are fine, it looks like he just got knocked out." I took his pulse again as he woke up.

"Lissa?"

"I'm right here Dick." I stroked his face.

"What happened?"

" What do you remember?" Batman asked

"I got Lissa out of the cell and directed her to an air shaft that led outside. Then I returned to see if I could find any information. I recovered this" he held out a flash drive "before I ran into the Joker's side kick."

"The Prince." I added

He nodded and continued. "We fought but before I could get any good hits in he blew a purple powder in my face. After that, I don't remember."

"It wouldn't surprise me if he had been intending to use it on Lissa. We can talk more in the cave." He turned on the Batmobile's hyper speed and gave the road his full attention.

I leaned down to Dick's ear and whispered. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just confused. Everything is so blurry. I don't really remember doing anything, I just know I did."

"It's alright. We don't know what he hit you with. You're safe now."

"I should be telling you the same thing. You've been missing for three days."

"Three days?!" it was difficult to keep my whisper.

"Today is Sunday. We only just got a ping off of your belt a few hours ago."

"Where was I?"

"You were in some building out in the middle of nowhere, about an hour from Gotham. It isn't old; in fact it is actually brand new. It was just built about a week ago by some off-shore construction company."

"That's odd. I wonder if the Joker built it."

"I'm not sure but if he did then we should be very worried. Planning like that can mean nothing good. What did they do to you in there?"

"Wait until I tell Batman, I'm not sure I'll be able to tell it twice."

"Okay." He looked really worried but didn't press me.

We arrived at the Batcave just before sunrise, and Pennyworth was standing by the door to greet us.

"While I am sure the intention was to recollect recent events privately, Mr. Fox is waiting upstairs in the study."

"Thank you, we'll take breakfast there." Batman slipped off his mask and armor before heading upstairs.

"An Madam Lissa, it is good to have you back." He gave me a smiled which I returned.

"It is very good to be back."


	5. The New Kid

We headed upstairs and Mr. Fox smothered me in a hug the moment he saw me. "You would not believe how lost these two have been since you left."

"We were not lost, just worried." Dick defended, which made Mr. Fox laugh.

"Of course, of course. Now if Bruce doesn't mind, I would like to hear the story about where you've been for the past few days."

I relayed to them what had happened, trying to stay as accurate as possible while glossing over some of the fear factor, but it didn't help much. Mr. Fox and Bruce kept straight faces the entire time, but Dick couldn't help but bunch his eyebrows in concern. I finished and everyone sat in silence for a minute.

"Well, this is quite the development." Mr. Fox gazed off in thought.

"Do you think this has something to do with the _mirakuru _in Sterling city?"

"I would be surprised if it doesn't. Two 'miracle' serums at the same time seems highly unlikely. And from what Lisa tells us, the attacks in Sterling City and the serum the Joker used are related. Regarding his experiments, have you had any...effects since you left?"

"No, ever since he hit me with the foam stuff I feel weaker than I've ever been. I don't think I could even do a push up."

"Well, you'll have to go to school today but I'll keep you off of missions for a little while. You need to be resting your leg anyway."

I nodded, keeping my eyes trained on the table.

"We should see what we can find on this." Mr. Fox gestured to the flash drive Dick had recovered "I'll start working on some fire-proof suits and weapons. Better to be safe than sorry."

"Should she really be attending school, though? From what she says, her abilities are triggered by emotions. If she gets angry at school what is to stop her from causing a scene?" Dick asked

"If it's alright with Lissa, I will give her mood stabilizers while she is in public."

"You know what's best, I trust your judgment."

"In the evenings once you feel more yourself, we can start some training that will help you control your emotions a little better."

Pennyworth walked in, laying out a full course breakfast. I was famished and dug into my biscuits and gravy as quickly as I could.

"I believe it best to get Green Arrow and his team involved soon. This is obviously spanning much farther than Gotham City and we might need his help and resources." Batman furrowed his brow "We might even need to call in some more reinforcements as well."

"Like who?" Dick asked and Mr. Fox watched Bruce expectantly.

"There is a hero I met through the Justice League I think might be of help. But I won't call on him unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Who is it?" Dick pressed

"An old friend." Bruce scowled. "I'll look through the flash drive and see what I can find. Lissa, you've been through a lot, but I need you to go upstairs and get ready for school."

"I know." I smiled and stood up, leaving to go to my room.

Mr. Fox drove us to school, asking me particulars about my imprisonment. We pulled up and he turned in his seat to face me.

"If you need anything at all, call me."

"Thank you, Mr. Fox." I slid out of the car behind Dick and was ambushed by my friends.

"Where have you been?!" Stacy yelled

"Sorry, emergency business trip to China. And they have _no _reception in the mountains."

"We were worried half to death." Alex hugged me

"I'm fine, really. I brought you guys some Chinese finger traps."

We headed to class on the third floor, and I noticed someone new sitting in the back. He had shockingly purple hair and his uniform was a bit soppy. He looked at home enough though, lounging in his chair.

"Who is that?"

"Jarin." she winked "Cute, isn't he?"

"When did he get here?"

"He's been here like a week. You haven't noticed him?"

I studied the newcomer but didn't recognize him from anywhere. It surprised me I'd overlooked him, his hair was a shade of purple that would have given an eggplant a heart attack. "No, I guess I haven't. So what did I miss?"

"Oh, Arthur McRund is dating-"

"In class, Stacy."I smiled

"Oh, I don't know. Ask Alex, she's the smart one."

"Here." Alex handed me her journal and started walking me through the lessons.

Leaving class for lunch I passed the new kid, Jarin, walking alone in the halls. I walked up to him, dismissing my friends.

"Hey, you're new right?"

He turned to look at me and gave a wide smile. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. And you are?"

"Lissa, nice to meet you." I shook his hand. "I was wondering if you'd like to each lunch with me and my friends, unless you had other plans."

"Sure, thank you." He smiled and followed me out into the courtyard.

"Everyone, this is Jarin. Jarin, this is Stacy Wracky, Alex Huerra, and Richard Grayson." I pointed to each as I introduced them.

"Hello, call my Rin, please." He turned to Dick "Richard Grayson, I've heard a lot about you. Can I call you Dick?"

"No." Came the short reply. He turned to his lunch and ignored Rin.

"So, Rin, where are you from?" Stacy asked, all smiles

"Boston, I moved here with my guardian."

"Guardian?" Stacy asked before I elbowed her in the ribs.

"Be polite. We'll I think you'll like it here. Gotham has a lot to offer, especially if you know the right people."

"Like you guys?"

Alex laughed "Not us, we're nobody's. You want to know anyone, it's the Wayne family."

"The Wayne's?"

"Yeah, they own half the city. Don't you, Lissa?"

Rin looked at me with admiration, what I had been dreading. "It's no big deal. Dad runs the whole thing really. And of course Dick will take over one day."

"You guys are Bruce Wayne's kids?" his eyes grew wider with every word.

"Well, he's our guardian. He isn't our actual father but we're as good as family." I couldn't help but keep a cold note in my voice. I hated being treated like a circus show.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare; it's just I've admired Wayne Enterprises' technological advances for years."

"Really?" Dick seemed hesitant to believe it

"Yes! One of their, or I guess your, new heart monitors saved my friend's life. And your computers are just breath-taking."

"It isn't often we find someone interested in anything but the money."

"Hey , money comes and goes; but true innovation and genius stays. And the Wayne theatre house is just amazing. I mean, I've seen it from the outside."

"The outside? You've never seen a play?"

"No, too poor I'm afraid. But it looks nice." He looked down sheepishly.

"Well Friday night there is a showing of _The Phantom of the Opera. _I was planning on going anyways, if you'd like to join us…"

"That would be amazing." He gave me a broad smile.

"So, Rin, tell me about your classes." Stacy moved in closer, commandeering the conversation.

"Why did you do that?" Dick whispered in my ear, sitting down with his lunch next to me.

"Why not? You always say I need to make more friends."

"Not friends like him."

"An what do you mean by that?"

"Just look at him." He gestured to Rin fending off Stacy's advances. "He just doesn't belong here. No offense, but a certain kind of people go to this school for a reason."

"You should be the last one stereotyping, Flying Grayson." I snapped and stormed off to my next class as the bell rang.

The rest of the day passed smoothly enough and I was home safe and sound soon. I went down to the Batcave to see Bruce studying the computer screens.

"It seems the flashdrive Dick recovered contains all of the information on the experiment used on you. Plus some theoretical notes made by the doctor about how the result might be. It is unfortunate he didn't live long enough to help us. He seemed to be genuinely interested in your development."

"Well, we're lucky he recovered something useful."

Bruce grunted. "I suppose we are. The doctor put some notes in here on how to theoretically control your powers. As soon as you're feeling better I would like to test some of these methods."

"What does he say?"

"Well the serum you were injected with simply prepares the body 'for severe trauma', which I believe to mean will give you almost a state of invulnerability for a short period of time. By putting you in a situation which would have normally killed you, the serum pushed your body to adapt. Theoretically, the combinations are endless. We, however, have no idea what the physiological effect on your body was or if this state is permanent. I'll be taking blood samples and vital signs every few hours to see what exactly happened."

"Okay." I sighed

"What's wrong?"He looked over, concerned

"It's just a lot to take in. One second I'm Batgirl and the next I'm some weird fire-throwing lunatic."

"Hey." He stood up and put his hands on my shoulders. I was so small compared to him. "This doesn't change who you are. You might not have chosen this but it is you now. There is still the same Lissa right here as the one who left. Do you understand?"

"I do." I smiled and hugged him. "I'm just scared; I don't know what to do or to think."

"None of us do, but we'll learn together." He smiled "Now how was school?"

"Alright, I guess. Went calmly enough. I do have a small favor to ask. You know the opera house?"

"Our opera house?" he stepped back and frowned.

"Yes. I was wondering if I could get a couple tickets to go. There is this new guy at school and well, he was really lonely, and I offered to take him Friday night."

"Lissa are you sure-" he stopped and took a deep breath, as if reminding himself of something. "Of course. Why don't we make a family event out of it? I would love to meet your new friend.

"You just want to scare him."

"I'm your guardian, right? That's my job. Besides, I haven't been to the opera in a while. What is playing Friday?"

"_Phantom of the Opera."_

"Good, something I'll enjoy. I'll make the arrangements. Tell your friend to meet us there at 6. We'll sit in the family box of course."

"You just want to intimidate him. He is very interested in the company's technological developments."

"He is?" the note of disapproval and suspicion was evident

"Not in a creepy way, he is genuinely interested. He said one of our medical machines saved his friend's life. "

"Just make sure to keep an eye on him. It's always best to watch your friends."

"I know." I smiled and headed up the stairs, walking into the library where Dick was sitting in a chair.

"So the verdict on the flash drive?" he asked without looking up

"Exactly what we needed, it has all the notes and even some speculations the doctor made. Bruce says he wants to run through it once I feel better."

"I'm glad it's not useless. It's pretty rare we find exactly what we need. It's nice. You tell him about your date?"

"It's our date now; he wants it to be a family thing."

"No, you're joking." He lowered his book and gave me an exasperated face.

"Nope. Straight from the Bat's mouth."

"I have better things to do than to see you on a date with some weirdo. What happened to Harper?"

"Crap, I forgot we were supposed to go to the fair Friday." I pulled out my phone to confirm the plan interference.

"Bring him too. At least I'll have someone on my anti-Jarin side."

"How do you know he won't like Rin?"

"Come on, Lissa, we're detectives. It's not hard to figure out." He smiled and laid his book down. "Friday night is looking to be rather interesting."


	6. The Night Owl

I rolled my eyes at his back as he left the room and called Roy. He picked up on the third ring, and I had a feeling that was specially coordinated.

"Hello, who is it?" he asked casually.

"As if you don't know. Look, I'm really sorry but I have to cancel Friday night. There were some plan mix-ups and I'm going to the opera that night."

"Oh." He sounded disheartened and I made it a point to continue quickly.

"So if you wouldn't mind, I'd love your company."

"Realy, at the opera?"

"Yeah, it's a family thing and one of my friends from school is coming. But I always need a handsome man on my arm."

"I'd love to!"

"Meet us in the entryway of Wayne Theatre 6 o'clock Friday night, okay?"

"Sounds great!"

I hung up and smiled, he really was a sweet kid. I went upstairs and did homework until dinner was called and the final arrangements for Friday night made at the table.

I had just changed into my pajamas when my phone rang on the nightstand, caller ID coming from an unknown number. I turned a tracer program on and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lissa, it's Rin. I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight."

"It 11 at night."

"I'm a night owl."

"Bruce won't let me out of the house this late unless it's important."

"Well, who said you had to ask?" I could hear his devilish smile.

This was crazy. And not the usual lets-go-chase-villains-at-night crazy, this was special crazy. Bruce would be furious, Dick would murder me, not to mention the amount of danger I was putting myself in.

But thirty minutes later I was climbing out of my window, weaving around the heat sensors, pressure plates, detection lasers, and cameras. I landed on the ground and booked it for the end of the driveway where Rin's car stood waiting.

"Hey wild child." He smiled and turned the car on, peeling down the private road to the interstate.

"Hey." I said slightly awkwardly

"Never snuck out before?"

"Not for anything like this." I admitted.

"You get used to it. What do you want to do?"

"Ooh, I thought you had a plan. I don't know, just whatever. I need to be home before Bruce wakes up."

"Okay." He drove a few seconds in silence. "Why did you come down in such a weird way?"

"Security system." I said casually.

"You were quite nifty at getting down."

"I'm in gymnastics. I've been in them all my life, and Bruce enrolled me in some master courses when I first came here. It's my passion."

"That's really cool. You can do like flips and stuff?"

I laughed at the vagueness. "Yeah, flips and stuff. What are you into?"

"A little of everything. I like technology, as you have probably figured out. My guardian is into politics though, he really wants me to follow in his footsteps."

"I'm sorry, I know Dick deals with that a lot. It's a lot of pressure."

"I'm sure a perk of not being the first son, eh? You can do what you want." He said it lightly, but the emotion behind it was too heavy for me to take it as a joke.

"Bruce is usually pretty relaxed when it comes to my career path. There is pressure, but just for me to do my best. Dick is another story. Bruce did ask him if he wanted to take over and he said yes, but it has always kind of been expected of him."

"The curse of inheritance." He chuckled and switched the topic. "Do you mind if we just go for a walk down the beach? It's a nice night."

"Sure." I agreed and he turned toward the piers.

"But it seems like you and Dick get along…well."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I smiled and raised my eyebrows

"He is very protective of you. And he does not seem to like me. My first day I accidentally hit him in the face with a door. I didn't know who he was, of course." He called over my howls of laughter. "Ever since then I think he is rather upset."

"That is the best thing I have heard all day. He is never going to live that down." I giggled and wiped a tear from my eye. "It probably isn't that though. Dick, and nearly everyone else there, are so wrapped up in appearances and where you come from and stuff. They don't like people who don't belong in their image of a Wayne Academy student."

"It's the hair, isn't it?" he ran his fingers through the purple mess

"Probably." I admitted "Plus, you don't wear your uniform like a badge of honor."

"Speaking of which, you look great out of uniform." He looked down at my shorts, tank top, and brace-less leg. (Bruce would kill me but what he doesn't know won't hurt him.)

"Thanks, you too. The parachute pants are a little unusual, but you can certainly wear them."

"Was that a compliment?" he shot a glance at me.

"No, I was just meaning you have the type of personality to pull those off. You wear one wrong thing as a Wayne and suddenly you're the worst person alive."

"The joys of living in the spotlight." He took an exit and pulled into the beach parking lot. He parked and gave me a smoldering look. "Well, here we are."

I blushed under his gaze. "Yeah, here we are. Good night for a walk."

"Yeah, a walk." He smirked but opened the door and stepped out. He rounded the car and opened the door for me with a bow and a 'Your Highness'.

We headed south on the beach and I held my sandals in my hand.

"So what was Boston like?"

"Loud, full of people. It's a city, after all." He smiled again

"Okay, smart ass." I shoved his shoulder. "You leave any family behind?"

He closed up like a clam. "No, not really. Some friends but no family."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude."

"No it's fine. I didn't leave under the best circumstances. It's not your fault, you didn't know."

"You leave a girlfriend behind?"

"Why, you want to know if I'm single?"

"No, don't get your ego in a twist. I'm just curious."

"No, I didn't. There is this one girl though." He gave me a look filled with fiery purpose.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, she's alright. Don't know if she's single though. I'd be surprised."

I bit my lip and looked down. "And what if she wasn't?"

He started a little before grunting. "I said I would be surprised if she wasn't. Who is the lucky guy?"

"He lives in Sterling City."

"Long distance?"

"We see each other sometimes. He works for Queen Consolidated, so we usually see each other at business parties and stuff."

"Lucky guy." He sounded so sincere it almost hurt. "But if I may ask, why did you come out here if you already had someone to take you out?"

"I guess so you would have someone to spend time with. I noticed you don't have a whole lot of friends at school."

"Doesn't mean I don't socialize in the real world. I don't make friends with rich kids very well."

"You're my friend."

"You're an interesting case. Bummer though, I had this whole romantic walk set up for nothing."

"It's very appreciated." I looked up at the moon. "It really is a beautiful night."

"Not as beautiful as you."

I rolled my eyes. "Now you're just trying to hard."

"It was worth a shot." He glanced at his watch. "It's still early, you want to walk down to that diner and grab some food? My treat."

"That would be lovely." I smiled and he gave me a funny look. "What?"

"It must just be the moon." He shrugged.

"No, tell me."

"When you smiled, for a second it looked like you hair was almost on fire. I guess it was just a trick of the light."

I pushed my panic down, I hadn't felt any anger. It really must have been the moon. "I guess. I've been thinking about going brunette, though."

"No." his face was perfectly serious.

"Why not?"

"Blondes are much cuter. Besides, I don't have a thing for brunettes."

"What if that just encourages me more?"

"It doesn't." he gave me another of his looks and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.

"I wish you would stop doing that; giving me those…looks. It's not fair."

"Oh, you mean my smolder? Is it bothering you?" he did it again, stopping on the beach and stepping closer to me.

"Please, it's annoying is all." I brushed him of and turned to continue forward.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him, locking his eyes to mine. They were the blackest black, like a sky with no moon or stars. "I think it gets to you."

"I think you're full of it. Come on, I need to be home before too long."

"We'll see." He winked but released me, moving once again toward the pier. "So tell me about this boyfriend."

"Why?"

"I'm curious to know who it is I'm competing with."

"You're not competing with him at all."

"You said he works for Queen Consolidated, how old is he? He might be a pervert."

"He is our age, he just got an internship and impressed his superiors."

"How long have you two been together?"

"We're not together technically; we only met a few weeks ago. But there is something there."

"Good, so I still have a chance then." He smiled and pushed a lock of my hair back.

"Don't get too cocky. He has first dibs." I shoved his hand away and shook the hair loose again.

"So feisty." He smirked. "Come on, hurry up slow poke. The diner is just up here."

We climbed a sand dune and walked up a path to the pier. After I rinsed my feet off and replaced my shoes, we walked into the diner. We were quickly served burgers and fries, and I dug in hungrily.

"You aren't scared to put some food away, are you?"

"High metabolism." I blushed, slacking off on the face-stuffing. "It's delicious though."

"I didn't make it, but I guess you're welcome." He stole one of my fries. "I suppose you're used to classy food."

"Not really, Pennyworth can make a lot of things. He's made American Classic for us before."

"You have a chef named Pennyworth?" his eyes grew big

"Well, not quite. Alfred is our butler, he does a lot of things."

"You have a butler named Alfred Pennyworth?" he laughed, falling over sideways in his booth. The two truckers sitting at the bar cast us dirty looks. "That is comically cliché."

"It's not that bad. He doesn't, like, bathe us or anything. He takes the calls and keeps the house neat. He cooks and mostly minds Bruce."

"What does he call your Father?"

"Master Wayne, of course."

He roared in laughter again. "And-and you two?"

"This game annoys me." I threw a fry at his face.

"Sorry, that is just too good."

"You're a nuisance."

"And you're adorable." He popped the thrown fry in his mouth. "That is the best rich kid thing I have ever heard anyone say."

"I don't know why. Lots of people have butlers and maids."

"Not any of my friends." He checked his watch again. "We should get you home soon. It's almost 2."

"It's that late? It's feels like it hasn't even been an hour."

"Time flies when you're having fun." He smirked and pulled out his wallet, leaving cash on the table.

"Aright, let's go. If I get caught I'm dead."

We left, walking along the beach again back to his car. He streaked down the highway like a mad man and sure enough, a cop pulled up behind us with his sirens blaring.

"I told you."

"Don't sweat it, it's just a ticket." He seemed unusually relaxed for a teenager being pulled over in the middle of the night. A few minutes later the officer walked up to his window.

"Howdy." Rin said "Sorry about the rush, trying to get her home."

The officer shined his light on me and instantly recognized me. "Why were you two out so late?"

"Study session, you know how high school goes."

"M'am, if you could please step out of the car. Sir please take the keys out of the ignition and place them on the ground right here." The officer walked around and lowered his tone. "Are you alright, Ms. Wayne? Are you here against your will?"

"No, we were just studying and lost track of time. Really, I do appreciate the attentiveness but everything is fine."

"I'm still going to have to ticket him for speeding but…"

"I understand." I smiled. "You're just doing your job. I'm sorry, I did tell him to slow down."

"He said he was taking you home?"

"Wayne Manor, just up the road here."

The cop looked around and nodded. "You can get back in the car, Ms. Wayne. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"It's no trouble at all." I climbed back in the car and the officer went back up to the driver's window, handing Rin the keys.

"I'll let you off with a warning this time; just make sure you get her home safely."

"Always." Rin smiled, turning the ignition. He waited for the cop to get back into his car before pulling away. "Well, you sure worked your magic."

"He probably thought you were my boyfriend, not many people want to cross my Father."

"Hey, whatever doesn't cost me like five hundred bucks." The second we were on the private road he gunned it, sending up a cloud of dirt.

"You're insane!" I yelled in joy as he took a sharp turn too fast and drifted around.

"Aren't we all?" he yelled back, grinning.

We pulled up just outside the gates and he stopped, turning the car off.

"Thank you, I had a lot of fun tonight."

"Don't think it ends here, what kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't walk you to the door?"

"Because I snuck out of my third story window."

"You're not the only one good at climbing things." He got out of the car and I was forced to follow him.

"You can't, the security here is super tight. I barely know where everything is."

"Then I'll follow you exactly."

"Please don't."

"Either you lead me across or I try my luck." To prove his point, he vaulted over the gate with a huge smile. I groaned and flipped after him. I led the way back to my window, making sure he was able to climb behind me without setting any alarms off. We made it to my window and I crept in, making sure my door was shut.

"You have to be quiet, Dick's room is down the hall and he is a super light sleeper."

"Nice pad." He gazed around my room, thankfully weapon-free at the moment.

"I guess, I only moved in a little while ago."

"Nice bed." He eyed my large queen and I shook my head.

"Don't even think about it, completely off-limits."

"Nothing is off limits if you try hard enough." He tackled me onto the bed, pinning me down with his knees. I made a show to struggle but didn't really lay all my power into it.

"Get off, this is absolutely not happening."

"Why not? You can't say it's because you're not attracted to me."

"Because I have another interest. And it's two in the morning and my brother is right down the hall."

"I can keep you quiet." He leaned down and kissed my neck.

"Please, Rin."

"Alright, as the lady commands." He slid off of me and stood next to the bed. "I suppose I should be off. Lots of things to do before tomorrow."

"Alright, do you remember the way down?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He took my hand and pulled me to stand next to him. His cocky demeanor dropped for just a second as he ran his fingers through my hair and smiled. "Goodnight Lissa."

"Goodnight, Rin." I whispered back, and closed my eyes as he leaned in.

"What are you doing?!" Dick was next to us, shoving me onto the bed and Rin away from me.

"Apparently being interrupted." Rin smiled "Hey Richard, nice to see you again. Cool jammies, hope I didn't interrupt your beauty sleep."

"What the hell are you doing in our house?"

"Not knocking up your little sister if that's what you're asking."

Dick lunged out and grabbed for Rin's throat but Rin was out the window and on the ledge as fast as a thought. He faced me and blew me a dramatic kiss before disappearing. Dick looked over the edge to watch him leave.

"Are you stupid? This is a huge breach of safety."

"Please, Bruce is changing the security measures tomorrow, he won't be able to get back in."

"What possessed you to bring him here in the first place?"

"Well actually we went out for quite a while, he insisted on walking me to the door or, uh, window I guess."

"You're insane." Dick said, with none of the playfulness I'd had when I had said it towards Rin.

"Come on, it's no big deal."

"This is a very big deal. A strange guy shows up at school and suddenly he's in our house. Do you know how fishy this is?"

"Dick, I would know if he was being invasive. I had every chance to say no to going out. He was quite the gentleman."

"Oh so sneaking you out in the middle of the night was him being a gentleman?"

"Oh, don't give me that _Dad_, you sneak out all the time."

"For private missions or something, never just for the hell of it."

"Get your panties out of a twist." I walked over to my privacy screen and slipped on my pajamas again. "Go to bed, school starts in a few hours."

"You're one to talk." He spat, walking out to the hall and slamming the door behind him. I laid down and pulled my phone out, checking my messages before I went to bed. One awaited me from Rin, and even after I closed my eyes to go to sleep, the message played along my ears in his charming voice.

_You owe me a kiss._


End file.
